A Million Green Ideas

Solar weekend 2010

See a solar tractor, solar chain-saw, even a solar MG, all built by engineer John Howe of Maine.

www.bbc.co.uk Follow Bang on Twitter @bbcbang and #bbcbang. Jem Stansfield travels to the Solar Furnace Research Facility in Southern France. He witnesses the incredible power generated by highly concentrated sunlight.

Question by Daniel B: How do exactly solar charge controllers work?


I’ve been reading and reading online about solar projects and so on… But one thing puzzles my mind is when u have a charge controller that has a shut off what voltage will it supply to whatever is using the power? I mean what range of voltage will you be getting out of it? In between the min and maximum battery levels or a constant 12?

Best answer:

Answer by Solar
A charge controller monitors the battery’s state-of-charge to insure that when the battery needs charge-current it gets it, and also insures the battery isn’t over-charged. Charge controllers are rated based on the amount of amperage they can process from a solar array. If a controller is rated at 20 amps it means that you can connect up to 20 amps of solar panel output current to this one controller. The most advanced charge controllers utilize a charging principal referred to as Pulse-Width-Modulation, which insures the most efficient battery charging and extends the life of the battery. Even more advanced controllers also include Maximum Power Point Tracking which maximizes the amount of current going into the battery from the solar system by lowering the panel’s output voltage, which increases the charging amps to the battery. If a panel can produce 60 watts with 17.2 volts and 3.5 amps, then if the voltage is lowered to say 14 volts then the amperage increases to 4.28 (14v X 4.28 amps = 60 watts) resulting in a 19% increase in charging amps for this example.

What do you think? Answer below!

Google Tech Talks August 3, 2007 ABSTRACT Case study of two googlers who had solar panels installed at their houses. Why? What the issues are? What the process is. How to size the system. How to place the system. How to predict your production. Energy conservation. How well did it work. System measurements. Credits: Speaker:Hy Murveit, Speaker:David Talkin, Speaker:Kurt Newick

In this video we show how to make a dye sensitized solar cell based on titanium dioxide and anthocyanin found in raspberries. First get some titanium dioxide (anatase structure), about 0.5g will do. Then mix it with drops of vinegar until it has the consistency of thin paint or liquid…
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Green Jobs Training. www.greenpowerscience.com SOLAR PANELS SOLAR CO-OP This is a Monocrystalline Solar panel rated at 80 watts. This panel in direct sunlight can power a GTI Grid tie inverter providing 63 watts AC alternating current supplementing the power consumption from the electric company grid. The GTI is a 200 watt version. 3 panels would be needed in parallel to run direct at full power.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

A Ground mount system installed in Islip NY by Sunpower systems its a 10k system 200 Watt Sanyo Panels are used and a DPW Racking System
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Julia Hamm of the Solar Electric Power Association tells Debra Borchardt that solar is striving to become more affordable for the residential market.

magic TRANCE!!! enjoy!!!

Question by Ruth L: What are the solar panel things on the side of the road?


I live in Chicagoland and along the tollways are poles with what appear to be solar panels attached to them. Usually the pole has 2 panels and if I had to guess, I’d say each is about 2 feet by 1 foot in size.

They don’t seem to be near any signs and I haven’t identified a pattern of how they are place (for example, they don’t appear to be place every “x” miles).

What are they?

Best answer:

Answer by dansmith54321
sometimes they put solar panels near bridges and overpasses…it is connected to a sensor that reads pavement temp in the winter so they can salt it if the bridges ice over

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Our Amazing Solar System

Coolerado Solar Powered Trailer, run by 4 photovoltaic panels. Uses about 600 watts of electricity.
Video Rating: 4 / 5